Dr. Carlos Cruz
Media Contact: Cherie Yurco;
CMYurco@DallasCollege.edu
For immediate release — April 18, 2024
(DALLAS) — Dr. Carlos Cruz, vice chancellor student well-being and social support, has been named a 2024-2025 Aspen Rising Presidents Fellow.
Forty fellows from diverse institutions, located in 20 different states, were selected through a competitive process. Over the next 10 months, they will work closely with accomplished community college presidents and thought leaders and study field-leading research to advance excellence and equitable student outcomes.
“I am humbled and honored to have been selected for this fellowship,” said Dr. Cruz. “I look forward to growing personally and professionally through this opportunity to work alongside the other fellows in breaking barriers to student success in community colleges.”
Dr. Cruz has more than 15 years of experience in higher education leadership and management in student affairs, learning development, grant programs, operations, strategic planning and community partnerships. In his current role, he oversees student care coordination, counseling and psychological services, health services and promotion, and basic needs and community connections departments at Dallas College. He was instrumental in developing the institution’s
Student Care Network, a holistic system of care, services and resources that empowers students to succeed.
“As a first-generation Latino male who sought education as the path to a brighter future, this fellowship is a true testimony to my commitment to lifelong learning and being a force of change for my community and Dallas College,” he said. “As a fellow, I will have the opportunity to learn from national leaders and apply grounded and innovative strategies to meet the needs of today’s student success challenges.”
Dr. Cruz holds a Doctor of Education in organizational change and leadership from the University of Southern California, a Master of Education in educational leadership from Southern Methodist University, and a Bachelor of Arts in biology from the University of Texas at Austin.
“With so many community college presidents taking or nearing retirement, Aspen has a heightened sense of urgency to develop new leaders who are committed to systemic change,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. “Community colleges have a unique opportunity to advance the talent communities need and enable the economic mobility that draws so many students to higher education.”
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About Dallas College
Dallas College, formerly the Dallas County Community College District, was founded in 1965 and consists of seven campuses: Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, Eastfield, El Centro, Mountain View, North Lake and Richland. Dallas College offers online learning and serves more than 122,000 credit and continuing education students annually. Dallas College also offers dual credit for students in partner high schools and early college high schools throughout Dallas County. Students benefit from partnerships with local business leaders, school districts and four-year universities, and Dallas College offers associate degree and career/technical certificate programs in more than 100 areas of study, as well as a bachelor’s degrees in education and nursing. Based on annual enrollment, it is one of the largest community colleges in the U.S.
About Aspen Institute College Excellence Program
The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program supports colleges and universities in their quest to achieve a higher standard of excellence, delivering credentials that unlock life-changing careers and strengthen our economy, society and democracy. We know it takes visionary college leaders to achieve this higher standard, and we make it our mission to equip them with the knowledge, skills and research-backed tools to inspire change, shift practice and advance the capacity of colleges to deliver excellent and equitable student outcomes. For more information, visit the
Aspen Institute College Excellence Program website and follow us on
LinkedIn and
X.
About Aspen Institute
The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the institute drives change through dialogue, leadership and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has a campus in Aspen, Colo., as well as an international network of partners. For more information, visit
AspenInstitute.org.